Clutch mechanism



1937. D. VERMETTE I CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1937 Patented Dec. 7,1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention pertains to a novel clutch mechanism having avariety of uses as will be hereinafter fully described. The principalobject of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensiveconstruction of this character.

In general, the invention embodies two shafts with an intermediatemember which is preferably in the form of a gear. In the preferred form,the invention adapts the gear to be coupled to ll) either one or both ofthe shafts. In such case, the power may be applied to the gear anddelivered to either one or both of the shafts, or either shaft may bepower driven and the gear connected to a driven apparatus. Also, thegear may be merely an idler serving as a coupling between the twoshafts, one of which may be driving and the other driven.

More specifically, each side of the gear carries a clutch element, andthe shaft adjacent thereto is formed as a complementary clutch element.Preferably, the first-named elements are in the form of bosses ribedexternally and receiving reduced ends of the adjacent shafts. In suchcase the adjacent parts of the shaft are similarly ribbed.

Associated with each pair of complemetary clutch elements is a clutchingmember. In the preferred construction, this member is slidable andinternally ribbed to connect the complementary clutch elements. Thecoupling members are separately actuated so that either shaft or bothshafts may be clutched, as desired.

The invention further embodies a preferred mechanism for actuating thecoupling members. This mechanism, as illustrated and described herein,normally clutches one shaft and declutches the other and is readilyadapted for operation from a remote point.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of ex- 40 ample by the followingdescription and the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plansection of the device;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 45 1, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of Figure 2.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters thatare employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

50 In Figure 1 is shown a main gear I which may be a driven gear orwhich may serve as a clutch between two shafts, as will presently bedescribed. At opposite sides of the gear are aligned shafts 2 and 3. Thegear I, if a driven gear, may trans- 55 mit power to either of theshafts; or if either of the shafts is a drive shaft, the gear I maytransmit power from one to the other. Also, if the gear I is a drivinggear, it may transmit power to both shafts 2 and 3 at the same time.

At one side of the gear I is formed an integral 5 clutch member in theform of a co-axial boss 4 with ribs 5 or an equivalent clutch surfaceformed thereon. A similar construction is provided at the other side ofthe gear I, and is preferably in the form of a plate 6 attached to the10 gear by bolts 1, the plate being formed with a boss 8 coaxial withthe gear and having ribs 9 or an equivalent clutch surface formedthereon. The bosses, as well as the gear I and plate 6, lie between theends of the aligned shafts 2 and 3. 15 Preferably, the inner ends of theshafts are reduced at In and received within the bosses as clearlyillustrated in Figure 1. Each shaft is formed with ribs I I or anequivalent clutch surface immediately adjacent to its reduced end 5 2and adapted to align with the ribs 5 adjacent to the shaft 3 or the ribs9 adjacent to shaft 2.

It is now evident that a coupling member between each boss and theadjacent shaft 2 or 3 will serve to connect the shafts selectively orto- 25 gether to the gear I or to couple the shafts through the gear I.Such a coupling member is provided in the form of internally ribbedcollars I2 slidable over the adjacent ribbed surfaces of the adjacentbosses and shafts. From each such collar extends a shifting arm I3adapted to be actuated in any desired manner but preferably by the meansdescribed herein.

Through each arm I3 is slidably passed a shifting plate I4 mounted inguides I5 for rectilinear movement transversely of the corresponding armI3. Each plate has an inclined slot I6 receiving a roller I! carried bythe corresponding arm I3. The slots I6 are parallel for a purpose thatwill presently appear.

Each plate l4 also has a lengthwise slot I8 containing a spring I9seated therein and bearing against one of the guides I5. Because of theparallel relation of the slots I 6, the normal expansion of the springat one side of the gear I disengages the corresponding clutch, while thenormal expansion of the spring in the other side engages thecorresponding clutch, as may be seen in Figure 2. For example, theclutch embodying the .boss 8 and ribs 9 is disengaged by expansion ofthe spring at that side, and the other clutch is disengaged bycompression of the corresponding spring, as illustrated.

Each plate I4 further has an operating link 20 extending to a remotepoint of control.

The mechanism described herein is capable of several different uses. Ifthe gear I is connected to a source of power, it may be coupledselectively to either of the shafts 2 and 3 or to both together or mayrun freely as an idle gear not connected to either shaft. If either ofthe shafts is power driven, the mechanism may be employed member betweensaid shafts, clutch members formed at opposite sides of saidintermediate member and complementary to the first-named clutchelements, a coupling device associated with each clutch element and thecomplementary clutch member, an arm extending from each coupling device,a guided shifting plate slidable transversely through each arm, eachplate having an oblique slot, an extension from each arm into thecorresponding slot, and means for separately sliding said plates,springs associated with said plates and adapted to move each plate in agiven direction, one spring being adapted to move its plate in theclutching direction and the other to move its plate in the declutchingdirection DENIS VERMETTE.

